.NET Messenger Service

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The .NET Messenger Service (often known colloquially as MSN) is an instant messaging and presence system developed by Microsoft. Its user authentication system uses Windows Live ID, which allows any e-mail address that is registered as a Microsoft Passport to sign in and communicate with other users who are logged into the network.

This service also can integrate with Microsoft's Windows XP operating system, automatically and simultaneously logging the user into the network as he/she logs into Windows.

It is possible for any computer running with an Internet connection and a web browser to connect to the Messenger Service by using MSN Web Messenger. Although Microsoft only supports this for computers running Windows, it does not actually require Windows. There are also unofficial equivalents of this service. The official branded online version however claims only to be working with Microsoft's own browser Internet Explorer.

LAN Manager and therefore Windows NT includes a system notification service, called "Messenger Service", which is sometimes used to present pop-up advertisements to users. This service, although it has a similar name, is not related in any way to the .NET Messenger Service or the Windows Messenger instant messaging client.

Despite its name, the .NET Messenger Service is not in any way related to the Microsoft .NET development platform. Neither the official clients nor the protocol itself are tied to the .NET framework.

1 Clients
- 1.1 Made by Microsoft
- 1.2 Third-party
2 See also
3 External links

[edit] Clients

Instant messaging clients which support .NET Messenger Service include the following:

[edit] Made by Microsoft

Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger)
Windows Messenger
Microsoft Messenger for Mac
MSN Web Messenger

[edit] Third-party

Adium (Mac OS X, GPL)
aMSN (Multi-platform, GPL)
BitlBee (Windows and Unix-like, GPL)
eMeSeNe (Multi-platform, GPL)
Meetro (Official site) (Multi-platform, GPL & Proprietary)
eMSN (Java2ME phones, proprietary)
Fire (Mac OS X, GPL)
Gaim (Multi-platform, GPL)
KMess (Linux KDE, GPL)
Kopete (Linux KDE, GPL)
Miranda IM (Windows and Unix-like, GPL)
Mercury Messenger (or dMSN) (Multi-platform, proprietary)
SIM-IM (Multi-platform, GPL)
Trillian (Windows, proprietary)
Psi (Multi-platform, GPL) (Uses a Jabber transport for connectivity to other networks such as MSN)
Wambo (Windows)